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In the opening moments of Fear the Walking Dead season 8 episode 5, it seemed like Karen David (Grace), who suffered a walker bite in episode 4, would make a full recovery, thanks to a cure that was teased earlier on in the season.
But heartbreak is the name of the game in this franchise.
Disclaimer: Spoilers for Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5 follow.
Episode 5 saw Wren (Zoey Merchant) trying her best to rescue her mother, who ultimately succumbs to the infection. And is reanimated as a zombie that attacks her.
We spoke to the young actress about those heartbreaking sequences.
Zoey Merchant didn’t want Karen David’s character, Grace, to die in Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5
The heavy sequences in Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5 necessitated that the 12-year-old star remain in character throughout. That said, she loved filming those scenes:
"I had to stay in character for most part of the episode. If I was on set, and it was a really, really sad scene, that day I’d have to stay in character. My directors were good at keeping me in character. They would say take as much time as you need. And I would get into the mind space of being sad. And I thought of really sad things. And I would tear up. I mean…it was on from there."
She added:
"It was very emotional. But it was probably one of my favorite scenes to shoot..were those emotional scenes."
However, the sequence that really took its emotional toll on the young actor in Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5 was Grace’s demise and reanimation. Merchant said:
"That was also really emotional. Because it was like one second, she was alive and the next second she was just gone and I was really scared at one point. Because I had like flashed out of it. And I had to like flash back in to like…it was Grace and she was dead. It was really emotional. Because I didn’t want to see Karen gone. I didn’t want to see Grace gone. Because she was such a good mother figure to me. So, it was really emotional seeing her gone."
That said, she wouldn’t mind being a walker, if that’s where her character arc eventually leads:
"If I were to turn into a walker, that would be a cool thing. Because Karen, because Grace was talking to me and she was like the prosthetics that are on me are so cool and I was like that would be so cool to turn into a walker. You’ll have to see if I do..or if I don’t."
So what can Merchant tease for the rest of the series after Fear the Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 5? She tells us to watch out for clues:
"I would just say keep on the lookout in the episodes for hints as they go on. It’s an amazing journey. And it was so fun to film."
Remember that Fear the Walking Dead concludes with 12 episodes this season instead of the usual 16. Therefore, the upcoming episode will be the mid-season finale. Tune in to AMC next Sunday to catch it live and then log in to SK POP for our coverage.
